Steered by a prestigious Committee, the MedFIT conference programme brings together bright minds to debate on innovation-focused topics, to foster learning, inspiration and wonder – and provoke conversations that matter. International experts will discuss current stakes of the sector related to innovative collaboration, financing, market access and regulation as well as MedTech digitalisation:
All MedFIT’s attendees will have access to a mix of live and on-demand content during those 4 days. This content will be available for 30 days afterwards. They will also have the opportunity to debate with the speakers via interactive online chats.
PLENARY SESSION
2:00 – 3:15 pm CET
Panel discussion
From treatment to early detection: How are MedTech and diagnostic companies adapting their business models and unlocking the value of data?
Constant developments in new technologies, big data, robotics and artificial intelligence have turned into innovative MedTech engines, setting the scene for a more targeted and personalised healthcare. As medical technologies have been increasingly generating information and data, MedTech companies could differentiate themselves and deliver improved outcomes to patients through their ability to harness this data and use it to diagnose health issues early and to focus on early intervention and treatment rather than cure.
How is this transformation of the sector redefining traditional industry financial and economic model? To what extent is this impacting existing MedTech players and new startups business model and collaboration choices? When it comes to data-driven healthcare, has the progression from research to clinical value moved as fast as the promised results? What are the existing standards and regulatory framework for the next generation of medical technologies and how can reimbursement systems be changed to provide incentives for further development in this direction?
Moderator: Hans Martens, Senior Advisor, European Policy Centre 
- Mark Brincat, Senior Director of AI, Zimmer Biomet
- Marc Julien, co-CEO, Diabeloop
- Angel Martín, Director GA&P Medical Technologies EMEA, Johnson & Johnson
- Baptiste Perrin, Software R&D Director, GE Healthcare
- Thom Rasche, Managing Partner, Earlybird Venture Capital
TRACK 1: Growing early-stage innovation
10:00 – 11:15 am CET
Panel discussion
Investor pitch & tips: What are early-stage investors looking for in the COVID-19 aftermaths?
10 minutes investor’s pitch. Each investor talks 5 minutes about what they are looking for and then take the questions from the audience. The goal is to help identifying the right investor for the right project.
The pitches will be followed by a 30-minute moderated discussion to gather the investor panel insights on how to raise and secure funds in the current context. How has COVID-19 pandemic influenced investors and what is the impact on early-stage pattern of investment? To what extent is the early-stage investment in Biotech and Medtech affected? What are the opportunities to beat the funding odds during COVID-19?
The panel will feature feedback from early-stage investors, discussing key figures and recent experiences as well as guidance for start-ups dealing with this additional funding challenge.
Moderator: Irene Fialka, CEO, INiTS 
- Sascha Berger, Partner, TVM Capital
- Rodrigo Mallo Leiva, Partner, IndieBio – SOSV
- Bert-Arjan Millenaar, Founder & CEO, NLC
- Michèle Ollier, Co-Founder and Partner, Medicxi Ventures
2:30 – 3:30 pm CET
Panel discussion
How can industry and hospital collaborations enable faster translation of innovation into clinical applications?
Working closely together through advanced collaborations can bridge the gap between clinicians and innovators, can improve the assessment of the unmet medical needs and fast track the application of new medical technologies. What are the specificities of these partnerships in terms of management models and R&D means mutualisation? How have they proved to be fertile in clinical applications for the benefit of both parties?
Moderator: Gerald Law, Chief Executive, Innovation DB 
- Yves Bayon, Chief Scientist, Medtronic
- Ségolène Perin, Director of Innovation, Elsan
- Richard Kemkers, Innovation Program Manager, Precision Diagnosis, Philips Research
- David Caumartin, CEO, Theraclion
- Peter Sargent, Head of Business Development, NIHR Office for Clinical Research Infrastructure (NOCRI)
5:00 – 6:00 pm CET
Panel discussion
How has the 2020/COVID-19 global health crisis led to unprecedented public-private partnerships?
COVID-19 outbreak has shaken the world and the entire life sciences industry has been committed to bring solutions forward in the fight against the pandemic. How have private and public players been joining forces to facilitate research and development? How have pharma, biotech start-ups, academia and public health agencies concretely been working together on treatments, clinical repurposing, and preventive vaccines? What can be taken away from the experimental partnerships and collaborations that have emerged in this global health crisis context?
Moderator: Rafaela Kunz, Professor of International Technology Transfer Management, bbw Hochschule 
- Pierre Meulien, Executive Director, Innovative Medicines Initiative
- Vassilis Georgiadis, Principal, Partnerships (Pharma & Healthcare), UCL Innovation and Enterprise
- Rob Smeets, EU Programme Manager, Philips
- Reyk Horland, CEO, TissUse
TRACK 2: Market innovation
3:00 – 4:00 pm CET
Panel discussion
MDR implementation and suspension: What are the implications?
MDR has called for more stringent safety and data requirements for devices distributed in the EU. Initially set for application in May 2020, the new regulations had been unclear as notified body capacity appeared insufficient and some technical questions were still pending. How have MedTech companies been reviewing their implementation strategy now that the EU MDR application has been postponed by one year? What are the opportunities and consequences offered by postponement? How does this delay influence your choice to go to CE Mark or not? How to manage the three challenges MDR, COVID-19 and Brexit that the European medtech industry faces at the same time?
Moderator: Jana Grieb, Counsel, McDermott Will & Emery
- Aude Yulzari, Consultant, Formerly Clinical Manager, GTX Medical
- Manuela Gazzard, Executive Director, Regulatory Services Healthcare, BSI Group
- Angela Spang, Owner, June Medical
- Barbara Lengert, Senior Manager, Regulatory Affairs DACH, Johnson & Johnson
5:30 – 6:30 pm CET
Toolbox session
Key principles of choosing your first market
Planning for market access and evaluate how much a product will cost in each considered market is an important part of the early-stage value proposition. Alongside market size itself a multitude of factors -such as competition, market value, probability of reimbursement, regulatory framework, cultural differences – are to be considered when selecting your medical device distribution market. While taking a step-wise approach can help best manage the budget, how to identify the best target market for your product? Which key drivers should you build your strategy on? How to integrate these parameters from the development phase and ensure your first market can be a stepping stone to enter others?
Moderator: Corinne Lebourgeois, Senior Consultant, Med.C Partners 
- Ivo Aarninkhof, Managing Director, Holland Innovative
- Christophe Bancel, Founder and CEO, Tissium
- Andrew Glass, CEO, Vivasure Medical
TRACK 3: Digital innovation
9:30 – 10:30 am CET
Panel discussion
Leveraging the data generated by medical devices: Which perspectives to fuel innovation in MedTech?
More and more medical devices are collecting data, from the hospital to the patient home, offering a substantial potential to gain actionable insights and outcomes for preserving patient’s health. As MedTech companies report an increase of R&D spending in device connectivity, where are we in terms of capability and data integration from these new technologies? How are the generated data effectively collected and used as of today? To what extent are the data from devices redirected towards R&D for future product development?
Moderator: Suzanne Elvidge, Freelance Writer, Biopharma & Healthcare
- Jim Pierrepont, Chief Innovation Officer, Corin Group
- Segolène Martin, CEO, Kantify
- Andrew Fried, Healthcare and Life Sciences, Industry Leader, IBM Europe
- Karen Taylor, Research Director, Centre for Health Solutions, Deloitte
11:30 am – 12:30 pm CET
Panel discussion
Ask the experts: Emerging legal issues and regulatory framework for digital health technologies
Digital health technologies are disrupting the industry while uncovering an array of risks and legal concerns. MedTech and digital health players must understand these barriers and protect patient well-being and privacy. Our experts will help you understand the scope and concepts in the legal framework of digital health and assist you in evaluating the applicability of regulations for digital health solutions, identify red flags and find solutions.
Moderator: Arezki Yaïche, Senior Reporter Antitrust, MLex Brussels
- Cécile Théard-Jallu, Partner Attorney, De Gaulle Fleurance & Associés
- Guillaume Santiago, CEO, Onlynnov
- Jan-Philipp Beck, CEO, EIT Health
A toolbox session is designed to provide practical skills, easy-to-follow guidelines and take-home tools which delegates can put into practice to deal with their current issues.
Moderated roundtable discussion consisting in an exchange of ideas and perspectives by international experts to delve into the latest challenges of the sector.
